Wisconsin will be the first state to pass out federally funded rebates to homeowners for energy-related home alterations — including heat pumps that will increase homeowners’ heating costs sharply.
Gov. Tony Evers’ office last week announced $149 million in federal subsidies for homeowners and landlords who, for example, add insulation, rewire, or replace gas appliances. Among the largest rebates will be up to $8,000 to replace an existing furnace with an electric heat pump.
While heat pumps can be cheaper than gas-powered furnaces, they add an average of more than $2,000 a year to a new Wisconsin home’s heating bill, according to a recent Badger Institute study.
